Connecticut Mirror:
In Windham Hospital Service Cuts, Some See Sign Of The Future
Depending on who you ask, the decision by its parent company to scale back the services at Windham Hospital was a prudent one that will help preserve the financially struggling facility, or it was a troubling sign of the need for better state oversight to ensure that communities don’t lose access to care. And to one key lawmaker, that’s a sign of the debates that are likely to become more common as more Connecticut hospitals join larger systems, raising the possibility that parent companies will seek to consolidate services rather than offering every type of care at each hospital in their network. (Levin Becker, 10/13)

St. Louis Public Radio:
Prescription Painkiller Abuse Cases On The Rise In Missouri Hospitals
Missouri hospitals have seen a drastic increase in prescription painkiller abuse over the past decade. According to a study from the Missouri Hospital Association, the rate of hospitalization due to the abuse of prescription opioids has increased by 137 percent since 2005. The numbers localize a problem usually shown through national statistics. For instance, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 people die every day in the United States from prescription painkiller overdoses. (Phillips, 10/12)

The Associated Press:
Pence Awards $3.5M To Anti-Abortion Charity Group
Republican Gov. Mike Pence announced Monday that he will expand Indiana's affiliation with a nonprofit organization that counsels pregnant women against abortion and pushes abstinence as the only method of birth control. Pence cited the successes of a $1 million pilot program as reason for granting a new $3.5 million contract to Real Alternatives, a Pennsylvania-based charity that provides "life-affirming" counseling on everything from breastfeeding to finding maternal homes, adoption agencies and social services, according to its website. (Slodysko, 10/13)

The Associated Press:
NY Lt. Gov. Hochul Heads To Puerto Rico To Offer State's Aid
New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and Secretary of State Cesar Perales joined Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul for the visit Monday. The trip comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo traveled to the island last month to offer New York's assistance as it deals with billions in public debt, much of it related to the state's Medicaid and Medicare programs. (10/12)

The Kansas City Star:
Kansas Citians With Chronic Pain Take Their Plight Public
Rhonda Enzinna has discovered it’s nice to be in a room where people accept that her hurting is real. She knows that tepid “hmm” that clinicians and others express when Enzinna, 61, of Kansas City, tells them she has lived with pain since she was a girl. In chilly or windy weather, and when she touches an ice cube, her neck, limbs and joints feel as if they’re on fire. (Montgomery, 10/12)

The Washington Post:
Debate Over Paid Sick Leave Could Give Preview Of 2018 County Executive Race
A proposal for paid sick leave will be debated Tuesday at a Prince George’s County Council hearing that could offer a preview of the 2018 county executive’s race. The council’s planning, zoning and economic development committee is considering a bill that would require all businesses in the county to offer employees up to seven paid sick days annually — a benefit that was approved in Montgomery County earlier this year and has been touted by President Obama (D). (Hernandez, 10/13)

The Charlotte Observer:
Low-Income Health Care Provider Expanding In Rock Hill
A non-profit health care group focused on serving low-income patients plans to expand its medical services on four extra acres of land located in one of Rock Hill’s business parks. On Monday, the Rock Hill City Council voted to sell some city-owned land on Lakeshore Parkway to Affinity Health Center, a medical office looking to expand its offerings. Affinity bills itself as providing inexpensive care and other services to address more than a patient’s medical needs. The center uses a case management system that helps patients access community resources such as housing and transportation, as well as insurance. The group fills a need for local low-income residents. The federal government estimates 65,000 low-income residents in York County need access to health care, but only about 15 percent of them are served by a community health care center or a free medical clinic. (Marchant, 10/12)

The Holland Sentinel:
Cutbacks In Mental Health Services Hit Western Michigan
J.R. Robinson rubbed his hands together. A hollow sadness sits behind his eyes, punctuating a broken expression. "I'm struggling every day," said the 51-year-old Holland resident; a Tennessee accent filling soft, steady words. His appearance at the Holland Drop-In-Center on Sept. 29, was no easy feat. Without scheduled classes two days a week at Community Mental Health of Ottawa County, motivating himself to leave his apartment is a battle. (Biolchini, 10/12)

The Associated Press:
Senate Panel To Vote On Stripping Planned Parenthood Funding
The state Senate's health committee is expected to vote on a pair of bills that would strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding and raise its Medicaid expenses. One measure would require the state to apply for $3.5 million in federal Title X grant money, which currently all goes to Planned Parenthood. The bill would forbid abortion providers from getting any of that money and instead give it to the state's Well Woman program that provides breast and cervical cancer screenings. The bill passed the full state Assembly in September. (10/13)

The Wall Street Journal:
Speculative Developers Take Medical Projects Off Back Burner
Most developers in the medical-office-building business put speculative projects on hold during the recession. Now some are revisiting the idea, breaking ground on new projects without having any tenants lined up. Consider Downtown West Medical Offices, a medical-office-building project in central Los Angeles expected to be announced this week. The developers plan to build a four-story, 60,000-square-foot contemporary building consisting of primary- or specialty-care medical space that may include a pharmacy or physical-therapy facility on the ground floor. (Friedman, 10/13)

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